Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-08
THE COTTON MURDER.
More Diab0lieal Details Of the
Affair."

Affair.".
The San Bernardino Courier of Fri.
day has this to say of the murder of
Katie Handorff: "The Cotton murder
was the leading topic Of excited COM
ment yesterday. The horrible details,
the premeditated brutality, the atrocious
coolness of execution, the mystery of
motive, were all discussed and de.
nounced with an energy which Illustrated
how deep.felt was the indignation of the
people.
There was, alas! no room for doubt as
to horrible details OF the murder, but
there was great difference of opinion
relative to the motive Of the murderer.
Various opinions were advanced, the
prevalent one being that the murderer
was actuated largely by sordid pur-
pose, that the woman had money and
valuables, and that he butchered her to
get possession of them. But this, in
the face Of his evident preparation for
the CHASTITY crime, is mere conjecture.
All sorts of rumors were afoat yester-
day.
1t was confidently reported that man
answering perfectly the description of
the murderer had been captured at the
Needles, and that telegram to that
effect had been received in town. An
other report held that Marshal Bright
was on the track of the murderer, either
in the city or the suburbs; in fact. that
the Marshal had him trailed to his end.
We could not trace the latter rumor to
any authentic source.
Sheriff Cole took the Barstew train,
yesterday morning, and we may infer,
went out to the Needles.
1t is morally certain that the mur.
derer was at the San Bernardino depot
on the morning after the murder, at
$3.50 o'clock. About that hour, a man
dressed precisely as the murderer is said
to have been, approached the depot
grounds from the direction of Cotton,
walking on the railroad. His pants
below the knees were studded with
cuckleburrs. The night shift of men
at work around the depot were
near fire, which the early
pedestrian approached. He inquired
for the time from Mr.. Cross. Mr..
Cross gave him the the required infor.
nation, upon which the wanderer pulled
out small lady's watch out of his right
vest pocket and set it according to the
time given by Mr.. Cross. He then asked
at what hour the first train left for Bar
stow. Upon being informed, he headed
off northward along the railroad. Mr..
Cross, who has been constable, and
has had sorne experience with criminals,
remarked that the man looked either
insane, or as If he were an escaping
thief. All the probabilities are that he
was the escaping murderer. Others
thought it strange that such WELL
dressed man should be attempting to
beat the railroad. If this was the mur.
derer he undoubtedly moved northward
in hopes to get on the early freight train
going north, which he may have done.
When the Sheriff called at the depot
to caution the employees to look out for
the felon's appearance, they emphatical.
ly assured him that this man had already
gone north, and described him exactly,
to the velvet collar of his coat. If these
men are right, there is nothing improba.
BILE in the capture of the homicide at
The Needles.
The body of the murdered woman
was brought to San Bernardino yester.
day, and turned over to undertaken Mo.
Donald, by whom it was embalmed.
DIR. Wainwright, the Coroner, tele.
graphed yesterday to the City Marshal
at Livermore, asking what disposition
should be made of the remains, and was
answered by the Marshal. who advised
the interment of the body here for the
present. This would indicate that the
woman was known in Livermore.
The Coroner's inquest sat again, yes
terday, and developed a few points of
interest, with which the Sheriff's office
was Immediately acquainted.
They are not such as would by publ.
cation at this juncture subserve the in
terests of justice.
Never before have we seen indignation
so bitterly intense as it was in San Bern.
ardino, yesterday, and we are Informed
that in Cotton the feeling is more fierce
ly intensified still.